Notes From The Editor

This government is not an exception. With two thirds of majority in the parliament, the new government led by Nepal Communist Party leader K.P. Sharma Oli generated high expectations among the people to implement economic development program and give the country much needed political stability

Whether the government is a minority, majority, two-thirds or absolute, Nepali people are yet to feel the political stability, which is a pre-requisite for economic development and prosperity. This government is not an exception. With two thirds of majority in the parliament, the new government led by Nepal Communist Party leader K.P. Sharma Oli generated high expectations among the people to implement economic development program and give the country much needed political stability. However, the government is heading to wrong directions. Introducing harsh bills to curtail the rights of the people and allowing its caders to use violent threats to coerce the people, the government has been landing in unnecessary controversies one after another. The recent case of folk singer Pashupati Sharma has flared up broadly. Following massive criticism from people of all walks of life, sister organizations withdrew the physical threat against folk singer Sharma for his recent song. It injected a fear psychic of violent nature from NCP's sister organizations. Some of the bills the government has presented in the parliament including the Press and Media bill are highly controversial. Rights activists claim that the bill, if passed without amendment, will contain the freedom of speech and press. Similarly, rights activities have already raised the voices on the bill on registration and function of Community Based Organizations, NGOs and INGOs, which is currently in discussion in the government. Although the government is elected from the people, its activities seem to be directed to authoritarianism or controlling the power through regulation and coercion. At the time of promulgation of this constitution, many groups within the country and even foreign friends including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi requested then prime minister late Sushil Koirala to make the draft democratic and acceptable to all, three political parties under the NC leader late Koirala had promulgated the constitution with so many flaws and contradictions hiding the suggestions and advice. Given the current state, the time is not far away that Nepali people, who condemned internal political players and foreign friends like PM Modi for genuine suggestions as interventions and hailed PM Oli and late Koirala as hero for their rigidity, will reverse their stand. However, we have decided not to look into politics but to cover tourism as our main story.